We have been blessed to meet a single Mom, A, and her baby N. C, a wonderful ex-Marine who lives in one of the camps we have come to know reached out last week after he encountered a young mother in need of shelter. We were initially able to get her in a tent, and as comfortable as possible until the resources we work with were open. We met her on a Sunday and Monday was a holiday. Last week, through a series of ups and downs, we were able to connect her with Triangle Family Services, a local organization that not only has resources to help folks get back on their feet, but wonderful people who work there who really care!
During our first meeting with Triangle Family Services, we met with the director who took the time to get to know her and her situation. As she explained the program and her next meeting with them, A started asking questions around what happens if things don’t work out as they were explained. A, like many others, has reached out repeatedly to have doors shut in her face, resources that were promised not received and after a repeat of these experiences over and over, hope of actually getting back on her feet starts to slip away. I loved the director’s response! She said if they run into any hiccups, they will keep trying and that they have her back! That really warmed my heart and I knew that she would be in good hands!
A met with the Emergency Shelter Case Manager the next day and is now in a program that is providing her a safe place to live temporarily. As she moves through the program, they are working on building her long-term future through income, resources for her and her children and permanent housing! She has called me every day to check in and give me updates on how she is doing. She was so excited the first day that she went out looking for jobs! I asked her if she has been writing down the places she applied to and found out she is in need of a notebook, which she was very happy to receive yesterday. She is getting childcare set up this week and hopes to have a job in the coming weeks as she moves towards obtaining permanent housing. I found out that A only had the clothes on her back, and a few outfits for her children, so took her shopping for an outfit and some food. The next day, I received several items of clothing for A from Advocacy to Alleviate Homelessness!
The time came to take her to the hotel the program arranged for her to stay at. They would not let her in the door. Frustrated, hurt and confused, we reached out to the lady who has been arranging things for her. It was after 5pm and most agencies close their doors at that time. I could see her trying to work past her automatic reaction of disappointment. She started to accept the fact that she would be back on the street and the temperatures were dropping. She went to work trying to find some type of shelter so that she did not have to stay the night in the tent, which usually does not end very well. She then looked at me and said, “I know I need to be more positive. I’m just used to getting my hopes up and things not working out.” We went back to my house while she waited to hear if they had found another place for her to stay. A rep for an internet provider came walking by. He stopped and we all talked for awhile. That took her mind off her normal thought pattern when waiting on the news. She received the call shortly afterwards. They found another room for her that she would receive a warm welcome at. I could almost see a weight come off her shoulder.
After taking her there and getting her all settled in, I headed back home. I arrived around 9pm. I received an email from the lady we met with from Triangle Family Services earlier, who coordinated the hotel stay, and who had worked after hours to make sure she had a safe place to sleep that night. She wanted to know if she had arrived and gotten settled into her room. She said she did not want to go to sleep without making sure she was there! That really warmed my heart! She is in good hands!
There have been A LOT of ups and downs this past week. She has been on pins and needles as she waits to hear news of each next step. She gets stuck in the mindset of disappointment. Each time she would say that she was preparing for the worst, but understood she needed to think positively. When she received good news, she was ecstatic! Even with the ups and downs she experienced last week, the overall trend was up!
I am so excited for the opportunity she has and look forward to seeing her in a permanent place, and the whole family thriving!